CAÑON CITY, Colo. — Police have arrested a man accused of setting two separate fires early Monday morning near the Cañon City Museum and a nearby café, in what authorities are calling an arson spree.
Officers responded to the museum just after midnight after receiving reports of a brush fire. They arrived before firefighters and were able to contain the flames using a fire extinguisher.
Surveillance footage captured the suspect setting fire to brush along a fence. Police identified him as 34-year-old Charles Fenstermacher, based on an earlier call involving him.
While still at the museum, officers were dispatched to a second fire at the Happy Endings Caboose Café. Once again, they used a fire extinguisher to prevent the fire from spreading.
A patrol sergeant shared the suspect’s description with a Department of Corrections (DOC) search team that happened to be training in the area.
“[The patrol sergeant] was able to leverage the DOC team as a force multiplier,” the department said in a statement.
At 2:35 a.m., the search team located Fenstermacher, and officers took him into custody.
He faces the following charges:
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Second-Degree Arson ($2,000–$5,000): Class 6 Felony (CRS 18-4-103(1)(2)(d))
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Second-Degree Arson (under $300): Petty Offense (CRS 18-4-103(1)(2)(a))
Fenstermacher is being held without bond, pending a court advisement, according to police.
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